"Hmm?"
Sensing the sudden surge in spiritual pressure behind him, Jūshirō Ukitake turned sharply, eyes locking onto Ran En.
A radiant golden light burst from Ran En's palm.
Whoosh !
A Zanpakutō, shaped like a straight-edged Tang-style blade, emerged from the golden light and landed neatly in his grasp elegant, imposing, and clearly not forged by ordinary means.
"What in the world…?"
Ukitake's pupils contracted sharply.
"That's a Zanpakutō!"
"But how?! Without a sealed state? Just through Reiatsu?!"
Shock rippled through the observing students.
Urahara Kisuke, Byakuya Kuchiki, and other nobles stiffened visibly. Their elite upbringing told them exactly what this meant what kind of impossible genius it took to create a Zanpakutō directly from one's soul.
Meanwhile, the Rukongai-born students like Tōsen Kaname and Komamura Sajin looked on blankly, unaware of the seismic shift this moment represented.
"Brother… you've taken another step forward," Aizen murmured, watching Ran En's gleaming blade.
Then he smiled softly.
"In that case… it's your turn too. Are you going to let me fall behind?"
Though he'd sensed the danger hidden within the sealed Zanpakutō, Aizen had been growing impatient with his own inner spirit.
"If you refuse to let me use one of those… then come out on your own."
And as if in response
Whoosh !
A brilliant flash of purple light danced through the air, and another Zanpakutō manifested, dropping directly into Aizen's outstretched hand.
He had heard his inner voice.
And now, it answered his call.
If he had decided to reveal his strength at the entrance exam, there was no reason to suppress it now. He would keep his true ability hidden for now but his existence would still shake the Soul Society.
Ran En watched with admiration.
"So even your Zanpakutō refused the sealed state and came to you willingly…"
"As expected of Aizen."
If Ran En was a walking cheat boosted by his system then Aizen was raw, terrifying natural talent. Always a step behind, but never far. Always chasing and always catching up.
"I am Aizen," the younger brother said calmly, eyes gleaming behind his glasses.
"I may walk behind others… but I am never weaker."
Ran En met his gaze. They both smiled.
This was how they grew pushing each other forward, always stronger, always sharper.
"First Ran En, now Aizen…" murmured Shihouin Yoruichi, staring wide-eyed. "These two are… monsters."
"Legends," whispered Byakuya, gripping his own Zanpakutō. "I thought they were just legends."
Even Urahara Kisuke fell quiet.
Nearby, Amagai Shūsuke, still new to the Academy, noticed the unease on the faces of the noble-born students.
"Excuse me… Is something wrong?" he asked carefully.
Urahara responded casually but the weight behind his words was unmistakable.
"Oh, nothing much. Just that in 2,000 years of Gotei 13 history, no Shinigami has ever manifested a Zanpakutō without using a sealed state."
"What?!"
Tōsen and Tianbei's jaws dropped, the excitement from obtaining their own sealed Zanpakutō instantly replaced by a stunned realization.
Yoruichi kicked Urahara's leg. "Stop acting like it's no big deal."
She looked around. "According to records, every Shinigami who formed a Zanpakutō without the sealed state went on to leave an immortal mark on Soul Society."
"Not only do they possess overwhelming spiritual power," she added, "but their Zanpakutō are always… extraordinary."
"Then their Zanpakutō must be as strong as they are?" Komamura asked, stunned.
"Exactly," Ukitake cut in, eyes still on the brothers.
"Even without seeing their Shikai or testing their skills in combat, just the fact that their Zanpakutō manifested naturally means their potential is immeasurable."
He recalled only one other person who had done it before Genryūsai Yamamoto, wielder of Ryūjin Jakka, the oldest and most powerful flame-type Zanpakutō.
These two… weren't far behind.
"Even if they fall short of Genryūsai-sensei in sword and spell, their Zanpakutō talents may surpass mine and even Shunsui's."
"If Yamamoto hears of this, he'll no longer hesitate to make them disciples."
And frankly, Ukitake thought, that would be a great blessing for the Gotei 13.
[Aizen declared he would never be weaker than anyone.
Your Zanpakutō heard this and responded:
"He may be your brother, but you are the one chosen by light.
I am the first Zanpakutō of the Soul Society, the strongest embodiment of radiance.
You will remember my name."]
Ran En's eyes widened.
The voice echoed again deeper, louder until it boomed like thunder inside his head.
BOOM !
A deafening explosion of spiritual energy burst outward.
Golden light surged from Ran En's body, streaking skyward like a divine pillar.
The golden torrent didn't just rise it pierced the heavens.
A blazing column of light connected the Spiritual Arts Academy to the skies above Seireitei, shaking the very atmosphere.
BOOM!
The pressure that followed was monstrous.
Even elites like Urahara, Yoruichi, and Byakuya were blown back, unable to stay grounded in the face of the overwhelming Reiatsu.
As for the students still clutching their sealed Zanpakutō?
They were tossed aside like rag dolls Tōsen, Komamura, and others smashed into walls, barely conscious.
The storm calmed slightly, but the golden beam continued to glow bright, unyielding, holy.
In its center stood Ran En, bathed in divine light, Zanpakutō in hand, looking like a god descended to the mortal world.
Ukitake was stunned.
" Ran En… Tell me…"
He stepped forward, his voice uncharacteristically anxious.
"Did you hear it?"
"Did your Zanpakutō… speak its name?"